Conveyer



Aug. 12, 1930. T. s. NAP 1,772,577

Fled Jan. 22, 19294 Patented Aug. '12, 193.0

` ,UNITEDSTATI-:s PATENT OFFICE THOMAS s. ENAP, or SYRAcUsE, YORK, AsSrGNoR Tio-THE LAMSON COMPANY, o1?.`

SYRAOUSE, NEW'YORK, 'A CORPORATION ORMASSAOHUSRTTS coNvEYnR Applicationmea.January 22, 1929. serial No. 334,305.

This invention'pertains to conveyors ofy that type in which articles to be conveyedy rest directly upon a series offrollers or upon a conveyer beltsupported by such rollers,

5 and relates more particularly to improved between the rails when the latter are in-V stalled, it is diiiicult, except'by theuse `of specially designed bearing members,to remove individual rollers,afterinstallationfor l repairs or replacement. l

In the patent to Cowley 1,541,410, dated` June 9,1925 there ris disclosed a roller of the typefabove -referred to and also `a bearing member normally rigidly lockedinposition but removable outwardly"` from t the rails when it is desired toV remove the roller. rlhis Cowley device is practical and useful, but

undersome Vconditions of use it is desirable" to allow the bearing members to move to ac limited lextent relatively to the supporting rails in order to permitself-alignment ofthe bearings at opposite ends ofthe rollers. In

accordance with the present invention the bearings and rollers may be of the generalY typeillustrated in the aforesaid patent kto..

Cowley, but, novel means is provided for removably retaining the bearings inV place in Y the supporting rails, such novel retaining means permitting the bearings` toA swing or oscillate slightly relatively to the'rail, thus avoiding any crampingr of the parts 'orf undue wear of the bearings by reason of slightrelative changesin position of the rails, and re` quiring less care in original installation ofthe parts. In the accompanying drawingscertain desirable embodiments of the invention are disclosed by way of example, and in the drawings f .l

V`F ig.f1 is a vertical section on the plane of the axis of one of the rollers, showing` the roller arranged to support aconveyerbelt; Fig. 2 isfa fragmentary elevation, to larger scale, looking toward the inner side of one of thesupporting rails, the roller being omitted but showing the bearing in, position; I,

Fig. 3 is a section on `line 3-3 ofFig. 2;y

Fig. lis a perspective view illust-rating one desirable form of bearing retaining clip; Y l Fig. 5 isa similar view illustrating a modified form yof clip or retainer;

lug. 6 is a fragmentary View generally@` Vsimilar toFig.' 3, but to smaller'scale, show-l ingthe bearing member in plan and illus?` tratingthe employment of Vthetclip ofFig.y 5 l Fig. 7 isa fragmentary elevation, looking at the outside of one ofthe Supportingrailsja and illustrating a modified construction; and Fig. Slis a fragmentary section similar to,- Fig. 1 butito larger scale and illustrating the modified arrangement of bearings shown f in y A o f. Referring tothe drawings the supporting. rails are indicated at land 2 respectively,

These rails may be of any desired lengthand rv as shown are of channel section. Eachrail has a series of openings 3, the openingin `one rail being substantially aligned with corresponding` openings in the other rail. f;

In each opening there 1s arranged albearing member 4. y ,These bearings are ofsleeve-i'` g like form, preferably substantially closed at their outerends at 5 to preventthe entrance of dirt and dust. As here shown, these bear-f ing sleevesft are of regular hexagonalex-V ternal contour, although they may be of other shape if desired. As indicated in Fig. 2, the bearing opening 3 is also of hexagonal" contour but is elongate horizontally, so that the bearingcan freely move within the opening as, for example, by oscillating in a substantially horizontal plane about its point of engagement e with the lower edge Aof the opening. l

The rollery 6 may be of anydesiredltype,v

for example, such as shown in the patent to Cowley above referred to, and is provided with xed spindle members 7 adapted to turn within they journal openings inthe lbearing sleeves 4. The series of rollers 6 may form the immediate :.supportfor the articles to be conveyed or may support a conveyer belt 8 upon which the articles rest.

i lef freedom of movement in the opening 3, it is essential that the bearing-retaining member shall not seriously interfere with such movement.

In Fig. 4 I have indicated one desirable' form of retainer consisting of a U.shaped clip conveniently formedv by bending a piece of resilient sheet metal, such clip comprising the end member 9 and the substantially parallel legs 10 and 11. The free ends of these legs are turned outwardly and preferably folded, as shown at 12 and 13, to provide ears adapted, as indicated in Fig. 3, to engage the inner surface of the supporting rail and thus to prevent outward movement of the retainingclip under normal condition. As indicated` in Figs. 2 and 3, the legs ofl this clip extend through the opening 3, the clip occupying a generally horizontal position,

so that the legs 10 and 11 embrace the bearing 4 although being spaced therefrom. The

eiidmember 9 normally engages the outer- `.end 5 of the bearing, and as the retaining l be withdrawn outwardly from the openings'.V in the rails. yHaving released one or both member` is prevented from moving outwardly with respect to the railby the parts 12 and 13, the bearing ,4 is thus heldin proper position. However, when it is desiredto remove a bearing, the members 12'and 13 are pressed toward each other until they are disengaged from the edges of the opening 3, whereupon the retainer with the bearing may bearings in this way, the roller may be removed for repairs or replacement. In this arrangement, although the bearing is prevented from moving axially outward, its oscillation in the opening 3 is not substantially interfered with and the bearings are free to align themselves in accordance with any slight relative movement of the rails, such as may occur from settlement of the structure inwhich they are installed.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of retainer or clip which, in this instance, need not be of resilient material, `although of the same general Ufshape as the clip previously described and adapted for use in the same general way. This clip comprises the end member 14, the legs 15 and 16, and the tabs or ears 17 and 18 which in use are bent outwardly at substantially righty angles to the legs, as shown in Fig. 6, for

`engagement with the rail at opposite sides of the opening. Preferably the member 14 is of such width that the shoulders at 15 and 16a bear against the outer surface of the rail, thuslimiting inward movement of the clip, even in the absence of the bearing and roller. When this device is to be removed, the parts 17 and 18 are bent into substantial alignment with the main body of the corresponding leg thus permitting thek retainer to be withdrawn `from the opening.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have'show'n a modification` in which the rail 1 is provided with the opening 3 for the reception of the bearing 4. In this instance` the opening more nearly approaches a regular hexagon in shape than in Fig. 2, but is provided at its up er and lower sides, which'are horizontally dlsposed, with recesses or pockets ada ted to receive the tabs 17AY and 18 of the netaining clip. Thus, in this. instance, the clip. is arranged in a substantially vertical plane and its lower leg 1-6- forms a support (Fig. 8) upon which t-he lower horizontal face of the4 bearing 4 may rest. The clip shown is ofthe type indicatedin Fig. 'andithus arranged provides a broad support for the bearing 4y so that there is less tendency to develop wear than row edge of the rail. Obvious y, y properly shapingthe openingin the rail, a clip of the kindshow-n in Fig. 4 could be position indicated in Fig. 7. l

I'claim: i 1. A device-of the class described-compris` ing a support having an opening therein, a bearingl within the opening, the-o eningA beingofisuchl size relatively to the ar-ing as to permit the bearing vto swing to a limited extent in one plane at least, a roller shaft journalled in the bearing andi constructed andiarranged to limit axial movementof the bearingiinone direction and a retainer extending `through the opening and havinga portion-engageable with the supportto prevent withdrawal of the retainer from the opening, said retainer also comprising a part engageable with the bearing to prevent axial used in the movement` of the latter` in the opposite` direction.

2. A device of the class described `comprising a support having an opening therein, a bearingwithin the opening, theopening `being of such size relatively tothe bearingas to permit thebearing to swing to alimitedextentin one plane. at least, a roller shaft journalled in the bearing and constructed and arranged to limit `axial movementof thel bearingl in onedirectiom and a retainer comprising spaced ,legs extendingthrough the opensr ing at opposite sides respectively of thebearing, said legs having portions normally engaging the support to prevent ,withdrawal of the-retainer from 4the opening, the `retaineln also comprising a part :engaging thebearing to prevent axial movement fof the latter in the opposite direction.

3. A bea-ring retainer for use in conveyers wherein a roller spindle-bearing is mounted in an opening in a su port, said retainer of the retainer by movement in one direction at least, from the opening.

il. A bearing retainer for use in conveyers wherein a roller spindle-bearing is mounted in an opening in a support, said retainer having spaced resilient members adapted to fit Within the opening and having outwardly directed ears adapted to engage the support at opposite sides of the opening whereby normally to preventwithdrawal of the retainer from the opening by movement in one direction, said earsbeing disengageable from the support by movement toward one another, the support comprising a part engageable with a bearing disposed in the opening to prevent axial movement of the bearing in one direction.

5. A U-shaped bearing retainer of the class described comprising substantially parallel arms and an end member, the arms being spaced to receive a bearing between them, the end member of the retainer constituting a stop engageable with the outer end of the bearing to limit movement of the bearing in one direction, the free ends of the arms comprising parts adapted to constitute stops engageable with the inner side of a bearing supportto prevent bodily movement of the retainer in said direction.

6. A'conveyer comprising a support having `an opening therein, a bearing sleeve mounted in the opening, the opening being of such size relative to the bearing as to permit limited lateral oscillation of the sleeve in the opening, the sleeve having a journal opening for the end of a roller spindle, and retaining means engaging the bearing on the outer side of the support and normally preventing axial movement of the bearing such as to disengage it from the spindle while permitting lateral oscillation of the bearing with respect to the support.

7. A conveyer comprising a support having an opening therein, ya bearing sleeve mounted in the opening, the opening being of such size relative to the bearing as to permit limited lateral oscillation of the sleeve in the opening, the sleeve having a journal opening for the end ofa roller spindle, and a spring clip normally preventing disengagement of the bearing from the spindle while permitting the bearing to oscillate laterally in the opening.

8. A device of the class described comprising a supporting plate having an opening therein, a bearing sleeve disposed within the opening, the opening being of such size relatively to the sleeve as to permit limited lateral oscillation of the sleeve in the opening, and a U-shaped retainer disposed in the opening with one of its legs underlying the bearing sleeve, the legs of saidv retainer having outwardly directed ends overlapping the support at opposite edges of the opening and normally preventing movement of the retainer in one direction axially of the opening. 9. A device of the class described comprising a pairl of spaced parallel rails constituting supports, each rail having an opening therethrough, the openings being substantially aligned, a bearing sleeve disposed in each opening, a roller interposed between `the rails, the roller having spindle members j ournalled in the respective bearing sleeves, and

a U-shaped clip embracing each bearing, the vclosed end of the clip engaging the outer end of the bearing and the legs of the clip passing inwardly through the opening in the adjacent rail and having out-turned ears at their inner ends normally preventing withdrawal of the clip outwardly through the opening.

10. A device of the class described comprising a pair of spaced parallel rails constituting supports, each rail having an opening therethrough, the openings being substantially aligned, a bearing sleeve disposed in each opening, a roller interposed between the rails,

the roller having spindle members journalled in the respective bearing sleeves, and a U- shaped spring clip embracing each bearing, the legsof the clip passing through the opening of the corresponding rail and having outwardly directed ears normally overlapping` the edges of the opening in the rail, said clip with the bearing being removable from the opening by pressing the legs of the clip toward eachother whereby to disengagethe ears from the rail. v

Signed by me at Syracuse, New York, this fourteenth day of January, 1929.

KNAP.

THOMAS S. 

